Blood Covenant Read Online Free PDF Page A

the scarred ankle with its metal pin. “Does that hurt?”
“It just feels a little stiff.”
There was no swelling, no heat —
“I told you I’m fine, Brandon.” She slid her boot back on and tied the laces.
He frowned, still unwilling for her to take any chances. “Stand up carefully.”
She shot him a disapproving look, but complied by testing out her foot on the ground before she put any pressure on the ankle.
Brandon pulled a tissue from his back pocket and pressed it against her palm. “You feel hot.”
“I’m hot because someone convinced me to wear too many layers of clothes.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, then grabbed a bottle of water from her pack and took a long sip. “Stop worrying.”
Looking into Jodi’s dark-brown eyes reminded him again why he’d asked her to marry him. Several friends had questioned their decision to spend three months trekking across Africa for their honeymoon, but eighteen months ago Jodi had faced off with death and won. Neither of them intended to let life pass them by without really living.
But that didn’t erase his concern. She might be convinced of her ability to reach the top, but he knew her limitations as much as she did. Even with the relatively slow pace of today’s climb, she’d need to conserve energy in order to make it to the summit.
He laced his fingers with hers. “We’re almost to the camp and you can rest.”
Jodi screwed the lid back on her bottle. This time she didn’t argue. “Lead the way.”
At the top of the hill, their camp, already set up by their guides, spread out before them. One of the other climbers, Ashley James, dressed as if she’d just stepped out of a pricey outdoor sports catalog, jerked back the flap of the small orange dome tent, and set her hands on her hips.
Brandon slid off his jacket. “Is there a problem?”
The twenty-something’s frown deepened. “Where’s the wash tent?”
“Wash tent?” Brandon pointed to the bowl of water at the edge of the tent.
Ashley picked up the bowl and dumped the warm water into the bush. Her success on last season’s surprise-hit sitcom might have made her a household name — and given her temporary job security in Hollywood — but apparently the tabloid rumors of the actress being difficult to get along with had been right on target.
“My father and I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania two years ago and we had a private bath area.” Her frown deepened. “He told me I could expect a similar experience, but this …”
“Similar, yes.” Robert James walked up behind Ashley and grabbed the empty bowl from his daughter. “But I also told you that climbing in the RD would be a more rustic setting. I was hoping you’d enjoy the experience.”
“Enjoy the fact that even though I can call home from my satellite phone and receive text messages from the office I can’t take a decent shower or have any privacy?” She tugged on the edge of her knit beanie. “You’ll need to talk to the guide. This is not acceptable.”
Brandon watched Ashley saunter off toward the other side of the camp and forced himself to hold his tongue. With less than twenty- four hours on the trail together, he already found the woman’s constant complaining intolerable.
Robert dropped the bowl back in front of the tent. “I know what you’re thinking. I love my daughter, but that doesn’t mean I’m not aware of her faults.” He glanced toward the edge of the trail, where Ashley now stood beside a fallen log, talking on her satellite phone. The girl’s roaming charges were going to cost a fortune. “She thinks I drag her on these expeditions so I don’t have to travel by myself. But the truth is I keep hoping I can ingrain a better appreciation of life in her.”
Brandon chuckled. “I suppose I can see the benefits of heavy discipline and a sense of accomplishment this trip provides.”
“I hope so, but I’m starting to wonder if it hasn’t all been a waste of time.”
Brandon